Decampment
by baileylovesyou0400
Summary: Both Kamryn and Benny have been hated, hurt, and ridiculed over something they couldn't control. They were different, but all they wanted was the world to accept them. Now that the world has gone to hell and anyone different is considered a criminal the two have to fight for peace and acceptance, and the only way they can is together.
1. Chapter 1-Kamryn

Decamp: to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously

Chapter One- Kamryn

The lab geeks grab my arm and hold tight. I brace myself for the pain, and the needle pierces my arm. I bite my lip as the cold liquid enters my bloodstream, along with a rush of sharp pain along my arm. I squeeze my eyes shut until the pain has somewhat subsided, and then I am taken from the lab back to my cell. I shudder at the scraping sound of metal against metal as the lab geeks close and lock the iron door.

I look down at my arm. A large purple bruise has already bloomed around the area I was given the serum. My eyes burn, but I refuse to let the tears come. I lay down on my cot. I didn't ask for this life. I never wanted to become a…. a freak. I know that's what I am. A mutant.

My mother gave me up when I was an infant, brought me to the Institution. I don't know where she is now, or if she's even alive. All I know is that she left me here, and then the lab geeks started testing on me. Horrors I can't and won't describe.

But like I always say, what's done is done. I can't change what I am. I'm not normal, and I know that the sooner I accept it, the happier I'll be. But I just can't seem to get a handle on it.

I sigh and bury my face in my pillow, and slowly drift off to sleep.

I wake up to the sunlight shining through the barred window. I rub my eyes sleepily and look at the floor in front of the door, where I know a tray with breakfast on it will be. Sure enough, there is a small metal tray with a bowl of bland oatmeal and a cup of water, same as every other morning. I pick up the tray and carry it over to my cot, where I eat my meager breakfast. I put the cup of water down by my cot for later, and push the tray through a small slot on the bottom of my door. They won't give me a new meal unless I put the tray back out. I'm not sure why.

"I wish I had a harmonica," I say to no one. My voice sounds hallow as it echoes off the iron walls. My room is practically empty, except for my cot and a toilet, and it gets really boring in here with just me, myself, and I. When I was little I would fantasize about someone coming to rescue me. As I grew older I realized that I was on my own, and no one was coming for me. I still like to daydream about it though. I have a depressing thought that that's one of the only things making me hold on, instead of succumbing to fear and loneliness.

Sometimes I wonder what the real world is like. I've never known anything but the Institution, besides what I can glimpse through the windows. Honestly, I could care less about what the world as like, because I doubt that anything could be worse than this prison.

_I saved my water,_ I realize. I don't relish the idea of powers, but it's the only damn thing to do in here, so I just deal with it. I raise my hand and, with a flick of the wrist, the water in my cup rises in a thin line. I make it snake around the room, quick as a whip, forming different shapes and figures. I remember I had been working on a new trick, and I let the water fall, raising both hands. As I curl my fingers into fists, the water freezes, and I catch it before it hits the floor. I throw it back in the air, and it becomes water again.

To my surprise, I hear my door unlock, so I quickly guide the water my into the cup, just as the door swings open. A strange person in a black trench coat, a fedora, and a mask stands in the doorway, along with two lab geeks. The stranger is obviously a boy, and is taller than me by a couple inches. Other than that, I know nothing about him, and I have never seen the likes of him anywhere around here in all seventeen years I've lived in this place.

"Yes? What do you want?" I ask him cautiously. "Who are you?"

"This is a specialist on mutations. He is here to perform a few tests," says the taller lab geek. Oh. More testing. I gulp, and nod. The tall lab geek steps forward and cuffs my hand together. I earned this treatment when I beat the lab geek up and tried to escape.

I was led down the long hallway to an unfamiliar room. I sat on the cold surgical table, waiting.

"I'm going to need a sedative," the stranger says in a voice that sounds incredibly fake. The sentence chills me to the bone and I feel the blood drain from my face. I realize my breathing is too quick and shallow, and I control before I start hyperventilating.

A lab geek hands the stranger a syringe full of clear liquid that I know from tons of experience will put me in a deep, dreamless sleep within seconds of the injected. I'm so sick of being drugged and cut open and tested on, but my hands are cuffed and even if they weren't there is no way I can get away from this hell.

The stranger comes towards me and takes off the cuffs on my hands, and the next thing I know my arms, legs, and torso are all strapped down to the table. I glare at the man. I can't see his eyes because of the mask. What's with the mask anyways? Something isn't right…

Suddenly, he lashes out at a lab geek and, before anyone can react, plunges the syringe into his neck, pushing down on the button. My jaw drops as the lab geek crumples to the floor. The other lab geek has pressed a button on the wall, and a shrill alarm fills the room. The stranger punches the lab geek in the face, and he staggers and drops. Then the man runs over and quickly unstraps me. I sit there for a moment, stunned, before I collect myself and stand up.

"Who are you? What're you- What's going on?!" I demand. The stranger rips of a small microphone from his collar and takes off the mask, hat and coat, throwing them on the floor.

"No time to explain," he says, his voice different now that the modifier is off, "Come on, more will be here quick." He holds out his hand, but I hesitate.

"What if you're one of the bad guys? How do I know you're helping me?" I ask.

""You don't," he says impatiently. "You just have to trust me."

I nod and take his outstretched hand, hoping I won't regret my decision. We run down the hallway, turning this way and that down the corridors. We round another corner, only to skid to a stop. Three big men with guns stand there, guns aiming straight at us. The boy curses under his breath and pulls me in the other direction. I hear heavy footfalls as the guards chase us.

I hear a blast and the boy pulls me to the floor. When I look up, I see a hole in the wall where my head was a moment ago, and I let out a small squeak.

"No, we need her alive!" says a gruff voice from behind us. "Shoot the boy, but don't hurt the girl."

The boy runs faster, pulling me along as I try to keep up.

"How're we going to escape? They have guns! There's no way we'll get away," I pant.

"Just trust me, I know what I'm doing," He says. Suddenly, three mores guards round the corner and aim their weapons at us. We hit the floor to avoid being shot. The boy stands and pulls out his own gun and I scream as he shoots one of the guards in the leg, and then aims his weapon at the large glass window. I cover my face as he pulls the trigger and broken glass spills everywhere. He pulls me up and starts towards the window, but I pull my arm away.

"Are you crazy?!" I scream. "We're four stories up!"

The boy dodges another bullet and shoots in the direction it came from, and I hear a shout of pain.

"We don't have time for this! Just come on!" he says. "Do you trust me?"

"I just met you!" I exclaim. He makes a frustrated noise.

"Do you trust me?" he asks again. I nod reluctantly and take his hand, and he pulls me close and jumps out the window. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream, waiting to hit the ground, but we don't. I open my eyes and realize we aren't falling anymore. We're _flying._ I gasp in surprise and look up at the boy, who is holding me around my waist. Then, I notice the wings, and my jaw drops. He has _wings?_ They're about six feet long and chestnut brown with white dapples. The boy notices me looking and grins.

"Oh my god! This is fantastic!" I shout over the wind.

"I know!" he shouts back. I laugh and spread my arms, closing my eyes. Suddenly, I hear the boy gasp, and I look up to see a bullet graze his cheek.

"Crap!" he exclaims, swerving to avoid another bullet. He flaps his wings faster, flying higher and higher. More bullets rip through the sky, barely missing us. Eventually they stop coming, and I look back. I can barely see the Institution anymore, it's so far away. Suddenly it all hits me. I'm free. The thought actually makes me laugh out loud with joy. I'm free! I'm finally out of that horrible place.

I look at our surroundings, sinking it all in. The ground is mostly bare, with the occasional scruffy bush or cactus, and I realize this must be a desert. The only other thing is a road, presumably leading to the Institution.

"Where are we?" I ask the boy.

"Somewhere in Kansas. I'm not completely sure," he says.

"I never caught your name."

"Benny. And yours?"

"Kamryn," I reply. For the first time, I get a good look at him. He looks younger than I had originally estimated, more around my age. He has light blue eyes and tanned skin. His hair is wavy and a sandy brown. He notices me staring, and I look away.

We finally land and Benny leans over and puts his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

"I'm _exhausted._" He groans between gasps. His cheeks are red from effort and his face beads with sweat. He closes his eyes and staggers a bit.

"Take it easy," I tell him. Even though I just met him and I still don't know whether I trust him or not, I'm a bit concerned. He nods and sits down. I sit a few feet away from him and pull up my legs to my chest and rest my chin on my knees. I glance over at Benny, just to see him watching me.

"What?" I say.

"Nothing. So, you know my mutation. What's yours?" he asks, not bothering to hide his curiosity. I just look at him.

"Well?" he prompts. I shift uncomfortably.

"Why should I tell you?" I say. I realize that I'm being a bit rude, but I just met him. Why should I reveal my only secret to a complete stranger?

Benny looks offended. "Hmm, let me think," he says sarcastically, making a big show of tapping his temple. "Oh yea, 'cause I just saved your ass," he snaps.

"Yea, and for all I know you're just gonna throw my ass in a new prison!" I snap back. I'm not sure where this anger is coming from, but I'm not about to back down. Benny clenches his jaw in obvious frustration.

"Maybe I should," He retorts.

"Go ahead!" I throw my hands up in anger. Who does this guy think he is? He glares at me, and I glare back. Then he sighs and shakes his head.

"You know what, trust me or don't trust me. But I really _am_ here to help you," he says, taking me a bit by surprise. My fury drains away, and I'm a bit ashamed of yelling at him. After all, he did get me away from the Institution. And he does seem sincere. But after all I've been through, I locked away my trust a bit. Trust never seemed to get me anywhere.

"How do I know?" I ask, no longer aggressively.

"You don't. But if it helps at all, I give you my word as a fellow mutant that I am on your side," he says. I think about that for a minute. Finally, I decide to trust him, but keep my guard up. He's bigger than me, but I'm stronger than I look, and I could probably take him if I had to. I still have my mutation.

"I control water. I can make it mover around, freeze, heat up, you name it. I can also breather under water normally," I tell him reluctantly. Benny looks pleased and he nods, and I can tell he's relieved that I decided to trust him. I look up at the sky. It is already getting dark.

"How long we're we flying?" I ask.

"A few hours, I think," He replies. I grip my arms and shiver. What happened to the heat? It was scorching hot just hours ago. Benny notices me shivering and reaches into his pack. I watch as he pulls out a blanket and throws it over to me. I thank him and wrap it around my shoulders.

"Deserts can get cold at night. I'm going to start a fire. Be right back," He says, and walks off. I look up at the sky, which is in lovely shades of scarlet and orange. The sun is almost out of view. Just hours ago I was in a cold, dark metal cell, and now I'm in the desert, watching the sun set. In the real world.

After a while Benny comes back with an armful of sticks and dumps them on the floor. He pulls a lighter out of his backpack and lights the pile of wood on fire. I scoot closer to it and close my eyes, letting the warmth wash over me. I open my eyes and look up at the now pitch black sky, twinkling with millions of stars, and it's breathtaking. I look at Benny, and see that he's staring at me again with an odd look on his face.

"What? Why do you keep staring at me?" I ask.

"How old are you?" He says, ignoring my question. I exhale slowly, a bit frustrated.

"Seventeen. You?"

"Eighteen," he answers with a smirk and I roll my eyes.

"I forgot to mention, I'm going to be eighteen in three months. You're not that much older than me," I say. He laughs, and I think it's the first time I've seen him smile. For some reason it makes me trust him a bit more.

"Can I ask you something? Something personal?" he asks.

"Go for it."

"Why were you in that place? What happened?" I can see the curiosity in his eyes. At first I don't want to tell him, but I know if I'm going to trust him, I can't get mad every time he asks me something. I sigh.

"My mom gave me up when I was a baby. According to the scientists, she was so horrified that she had given birth to a freak like me, so she took me to the Institution and begged them to take me. The scientists were 'mutant specialists,' so of course they were interested.

They began running the tests on me when I was two years old, finding out all about my mutation, pushing me to my limits, seeing how far it would go. When I was three they dropped me in a tub of boiling water to see if I would survive," My voice breaks, and I shudder. I can't meet Benny's gaze. I take a deep breath, and continue.

"When I was five they began injecting me with this serum, once a month and I guess it was to 'enhance my mutation,' make it more powerful. All of a sudden new stuff was popping up, I developed gills, I could make water out of thin air. They conducted a new experiment every time something new happened, and most of the time it almost killed me. And if I every spoke out against them, or tried to get away, they would punish me, worse and worse as I got older." I pulled up my shirt a bit, exposing a scar on my stomach. I realize that I am crying, and I wipe my eyes with the blanket. I look up at Benny, scared of his reaction. He looks shocked, and appalled. I can't tell if he's scared of me or sorry for me. Maybe both.

"Oh my god… Kamryn, I-"

"It's okay. Just forget about it," I say. "So. You still need to tell me why you rescued me," I say, pretending I didn't just reveal my status as a full-on freak. Benny looks at me blankly for a second, then nods.

"Okay. Where do I start…" He begins. "Well, I think it all started when a mutant named Charles Xavier started a school called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It was a school for mutants like us, somewhere we could be safe. Because most humans don't like mutants. They're scared of us.

About ten years ago, this guy that's really against mutants started something called the AML, or the anti-mutant league. He got a lot of followers really fast, and he pretty much took over the system. Now, the word mutant is basically synonymous with serial killer, and the AML are taking all mutants. We don't know what happens exactly, but no one that's taken has come back. Also, there are tons of new laws against mutants, and if a human is caught helping a mutant they're taken too, so almost nowhere is safe. Even Xavier's school isn't safe anymore. The AML took it over a year after Xavier died, and the students and professors are being held hostage. Well, except for the ones that escaped, like me.

A lot of people died though. Including..." His voice cracks and I see tears in his eyes. "Including my sister. That was five years ago. She was seven," He coughs. "Anyway, there's a rebellion, where people and humans alike are safe. If we get word on a new mutant somewhere, we find them and help them. I'm part of the rebellion, so as soon as we heard about a mutant being held somewhere in Kansas, I was sent here to help you," Benny looks at me. "And I guess that's it."

So that's what the world is like. I was wrong. It can get worse than the Institution.

I lie down dejectedly and close my eyes.

"Goodnight, Benny," I whisper.

"Goodnight, Kamryn," I hear him whisper back, and then I fall into a troubled sleep.


	2. Chapter 2- Benny

Chapter 2- Benny

I wake up before Kamryn, the only thing on my mind our conversation last night. The horrible things those scientists did to her, thoughts of the war. Thoughts of my sister…. I shake my head. _Don't think about it,_ I chide myself. I look at Kamryn. I can't help but notice how pretty she looks right at this moment, with her wavy blonde hair and fair skin. She looks a lot less hostile and guarded in her sleep.

"Kamryn," I whisper. "Kamryn, wake up." She stirs and opens her eyes a crack.

"Hmm?" She mumbles sleepily. "Wha's going on?"

"We should keep moving. Who knows when the scientists will catch up? We need to get back to the rebel camp quickly," I say. Kamryn frowns and rubs her eyes, yawning, then sits up.

"Okay. Where is this rebel camp anyways?" She asks.

"It's in Florida. Seminole, to be exact," I answer as I pack up my stuff and stamp out the remains of the fire. Kamryn stares at me with disbelief on her face.

"Florida? How are we going to get to Florida? That's halfway across the country," She says. I extend my wings.

"Well, I was thinking flying?" I say. She barks a sarcastic laugh.

"Right, you'll just carry me halfway across the country. Good luck." Man. She really is a smartass.

"Well what do you suggest?" I ask.

"A car?" Kamryn puts her hands on her hips and gives me a 'duh' look.

"Yea, and where are we gonna get a car?" I argue.

"Where's the nearest civilization, besides the Institute?" She ignores my question. I would be annoyed if I didn't think that meant she had a plan.

"Gas station a couple miles back. Why?"

"Perfect, let's go," She says. I furrow my eyebrows.

"What're you thinking?" I ask suspiciously. Kamryn just looks at me with her piercing blue gaze.

"Just trust me," She says, using the line I had repeated over and over yesterday. I roll my eyes, but then I nod.

"Fine. Let's go."

I carry Kamryn to the gas station as fast as I can. I still don't understand what she is planning, but I quit questioning her halfway through the flight because she ignores me every time I try asking. We touch down at the gas station.

"Now, can you _please_ explain to me what the hell you're planning?" I beg. Kamryn scans the place and nods.

"We need a car, and a gas station seems like a good place to find one," Kamryn shrugs. I stare at her with my eyebrows raised.

"You mean you want to steal a car?" I ask in surprise. She nods frankly. I grin.

"Cool," I say. She flashes me a quick half smile. Man, this chick is cooler than I thought.

"Now, we just need to find a car," I say. The place is empty. Kamryn nods her head towards a small store.

"While we wait, I bet that place has some food. I'm starved," She declares, and begins to walk towards the store. I pull my wings through the slits in my jacket and fold them so they align my spine, so you can barely even tell that they exist. I jog to catch up to Kamryn. We open the door and a little bell sounds. Kamryn was right- this place is chock full of snacks. Perfect.

Behind the counter is a guy that looks around sixteen, with red hair and a pale, acne ridden face. He sits on a stool reading comic books. Other than Kamryn and me, he's the only person in the store that I can see. He doesn't look like much, but in this crappy, messed up world anyone could be a threat.

Thank god I thought to bring some cash. I shovel as much non-perishable food and snacks into my pack as I can, along with half a dozen water bottles. I look to see that Kamryn is grabbing a pair of flip-flops, and look down to see that she is barefoot. Convenient that this place happened to have shoes. Kamryn also grabs a pair of sunglasses, and tosses a pair to me. I grin and put them on. She flashes a grin and grabs an energy drink, looking at it with a strange look. She ends up taking four and I can't help but let out a laugh, which I stifle at the look she gives me.

"What?" She challenges. I shake my head, laughing again.

"You look like my mom used to when I went shopping with her. What were you doing, looking at the ingredients?" I tease. She crosses her arms.

"I've never had an energy drink before. Hell, I've never had caffeine before, or any of this snack food. I was just looking," She defends herself. I smirk, but don't say anything else. We go up to the counter and lay our merchandise on the table. The teenager looks up at us with wide eyes, presumably because of the large quantity.

"You guys going on a road trip or something?" He asks. I glance at Kamryn.

"Yeah, something like that" I reply with a quick smile. The teenager nods and begins scanning our items with the price scanner thing.

"I thought so. We get lots of couples in here around this time of year going on road trips," He says. I and Kamryn begin to protest at the same time.

"We aren't couples!" She argues, her face reddening.

"Yeah, we're just friends," I agree.

"More like acquaintances," She continues. I shoot her a look and she shrugs. The boy just holds up his hands.

"Okay, okay, I get it. My bad," He says with a chuckle. "Okay, your total is forty two twenty eight, cash or credit?"

"Cash," I reply and lay two twenties and a five dollar bill on the counter, and shove all the food and drinks into our bag. The boy gives me my change, and Kamryn and I leave the store, her in her new flip flops.

"It's weird, I've never had shoes before, or sunglasses," She says, reminding me that she grew up in some science facility. We sit on the curb to wait for a car to come. I pull out a packet of powder donuts and hand her half of them, then dig in to mine. When I look over at Kamryn I see her hesitate, and then takes a tentative bite. Her eyes widen and I have to stifle a laugh.

"These are good! Donuts, they're called?" She asks, biting into it again. I nod, grinning.

"Don't tell me you've never had a donut before," I say. She shakes her head.

"Man, for the past seventeen years all I've had every day is oatmeal, stale bread, and carrots. I've never had a good tasting meal, forget sugar," She says, popping the rest of the donut into her mouth.

"I have much to teach you, young grasshopper," I say. She laughs and turns to me, mock bowing.

"I have much to learn, sensei," She replies, and we both laugh. I wipe my eyes.

"Man, I haven't laughed like that in so long," I say, grinning. "Where'd you learn this stuff?" I ask.

"When you're locked up for your whole life, you learn to observe things, listen. The scientists may be evil sons of bitches, but they _are_ regular people, granted regular people who apparently hate mutants," Kamryn tells me. I nod thoughtfully. Suddenly, she hits my arm and points. I look up and see a silver sedan pulling in to the gas station.

"Jackpot," I mutter. A man gets out and puts a gas pump in the side of his car, then walks past us into the store. Kamryn and I get up and run over to his car. It's unlocked. Perfect.

"Sorry, sucker," I say, pulling the gas pump out of his car. I get into the driver's seat and hotwire the car, and Kamryn climbs into shotgun seat. I throw my pack into the backseat and look to see if the guy is leaving the store yet. He isn't. Good, he won't see us then. I Step on the gas and drive away.

"That was cool, where'd you learn to do that?" Kamryn asked me.

"What, hotwire the car? Logan, one of the old professor's at Xavier's school who escaped, taught me. Of course, he's better known as Wolverine," I tell her. Kamryn giggles.

"Wolverine?" She asks.

"We all have nicknames based on our mutation, I don't know why, don't ask. Mine's Hawk, 'cause of the wings. But you can just stick to Benny," I answer.

"Why is Logan's Wolverine?" Kamryn inquires.

"His mutation is he has claws, actually, more like talons, which he can sheath and unsheathe in his knuckles. Apparently, his entire skeleton is lined with some metal called adamantium. Also, he doesn't age and he heals crazy fast," I say. Kamryn whistles.

"That's some mutation," She says, sounding impressed.

"Yea," I agree.

We ride along the road in silence. The damn thing seems to go on forever, and we haven't found any signs of civilization since the gas station.

"Do you know where you're going?" Kamryn asks suspiciously.

"Vaguely," I answer, and before she can argue, I continue. "But I mean, it's not like we can go anywhere else, there hasn't been a turn or intersection for miles. Our only way is forward." I imagine Kamryn is rolling her eyes.

"Okay, fine, but what about when we get to an intersection? Then what do you do?" She says. "We need to get our bearings, figure out where we need to go." I make a frustrated sound, but I know she's right. I stop the car and turn to her.

"Okay, I admit it, you're right, but how're we supposed to get directions if there's no one to get directions from?" I ask. She thinks for a moment, looking at the dashboard of the car for who knows what. Then she points at a screen in the middle.

"I bet you a box of donuts that's a GPS of sorts," She says.

"What makes you say that?" I challenge. In answer, she presses a button underneath the screen that says GPS on it. She smirks at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Nice job, Sherlock," I say.

"Don't mention it, Watson," she replies with a wink. I grin, and then look back at the screen. On it is several options. I press the one that says 'enter your destination.' A keypad pops up, and I type in Seminole, Florida, along with the address of the base camp. A digital hourglass takes up the screen, and in a moment the screen shows a map with a highlighted route. A feminine robotic voice says 'turn right in six point three miles.'

I grin at Kamryn, and she flashes back a half-smile.

"Drive on, genius."

**Authors Note:** Hey guys, I finally figured out how to do this stuff. I just wanted to say: sorry for any mistakes I've made/will make, I'm trying my best. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it so far!


	3. Chapter 3- Kamryn

I wake up with my cheek squished up against the window of the car. I blink groggily and glance over at Benny. The poor guy must've been driving all night. He has bags under his eyes and he looks like he could fall asleep any minute. I look out the window. It's still dark and the road is practically empty. I know we aren't in the desert in Kansas anymore because I see lots of trees and buildings lining the right side of the road.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"We're in the suburbs of Kansas. I'm looking for a motel, 'cause I don't think I can keep going much longer," Benny replies. I nod and look at the time. It's one in the morning. I groan and lean back in my seat. This sucks. At least in the Institution I had an actual bed. Because of the position I fell asleep in I have a crick in my neck and almost every part of my body aches. I imagine Benny has it worse though, considering he hasn't even gotten to sleep.

"A motel sounds nice," I decide. Benny snorts.

"No kidding. At least you got some sleep," He says. I roll my eyes.

"You want me to take the wheel?" I ask sarcastically. Suddenly, I wonder what it's like to drive. I semi-consciously hear Benny say something about me being a smartass (oh, look who's talking), but I don't answer because I am consumed with thoughts of driving.

"Hey, can you teach me how to drive?" I ask.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll stop complaining, I'm sorry," Benny says. I punch his arm softly.

"I'm serious! I mean, besides how cool it would be for me, it would be practical that I know how to handle a car in case something happens. Also, then you'll be able to take a break sometimes," I reason. Benny looks at me with a weird expression, and then turns back to the road, where he is pulling in to the driveway of a motel.

"Yeah, I'll teach you to drive. Not now though. Now I need sleep," Benny says.

We stand at the counter in some place call Timberland Inn. A girl with brown hair and green eyes that looks in her late twenties is behind the counter.

"Alright, sweetie, how many nights?" She asks Benny with a flirty smile. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Just the one," Benny replies. The lady glances at me.

"One king or two queens?" She asks, and I realize with a jolt she's talking about beds. Good lord.

"Two queens," I say, my face turning a bit pink. Benny nods quickly.

"Uh-huh," The woman says. "Two queens." And she hands Benny a key with another flirty smile. Benny thanks her and we start walking to our room. We reach our room and Benny unlocks it. Immediately he flops down on a bed, and he's out like a light.

I take the opportunity, and walk into the bathroom. I look at my clothes (a navy blue long sleeved V-neck and jeans) and am disappointed to see how dirty they are. I peel them off of my sweaty body and step into the shower. The feeling of the warm water soothes me, and I am grateful to be clean.

I step out of the shower and dry myself off with a fluffy white towel and look at my clothes. I frown, disgusted at the thought of putting on dirty clothes when I just got clean. I throw my clothes in the sink and attempt to scrub them clean, and then I raise my hands and the water rises out of the cloth. I pour the water down a drain and then, satisfied, put on my clean, dry clothes. I drag my fingers through my wet, tangled hair and then step out of the bathroom. Out of the window, I can see the world becoming light.

I walk to my bed and lie down, and close my eyes.

When I wake, I hear the sound of the shower going. Sunlight pours through the window. I stretch my arms and get out of bed. I walk into the small kitchen and grab a cup from the cabinet (wow, these motel places have everything) and fill it with water. I drink thirstily, and then realize how hungry I am. I see by Benny's bag the bed and I grab a pack of donuts. I'm eating one when Benny comes out, his hair washed, and he wears a fresh hoody, a clean t-shirt, and jeans. I envy him for having a change of clothes. Everything I own is back at the Institute.

Benny leans against the wall, and I toss him the pack with the remaining donuts that I saved for him.

"You want to learn how to drive?" He asks. I widen my eyes and leap up.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaim, and he grins. We walk back out to the car, and Benny drives it around the back of the motel. We switch spots, and I sit in the driver's seat with my hands on the wheel. Benny leans over and points to the pedals on the floor.

"Okay, the pedal on the left is the clutch pedal, it makes the car go, and the one on the right is the throttle, which makes it go faster. The last pedal is the brake, which is pretty self-explanatory," Benny says, and I nod. He points to the stick that sits between the seats of the car.

"That's a gear shift, and it changes the gears when you push it," He explains. He continues showing me the parts of the car and how they work. Finally, he sits back and grins at me.

"Alright, give it a go," He says. I nod, and put the car in reverse. I look in the rearview mirror as I back up, a bit smoother than I expected for my first try, and then put the car back in forward and begin tentatively driving forward. I turn back around the way we came at first, and Benny tells me to go onto the road. When I protest, he argues that the road is basically empty, and what's the worst that could happen anyways?

"Um, let me think. Oh yeah, we could crash and die!" I retort.

"Yeah, and tomorrow I could get hit by a bus. Come on, you're never gonna learn to drive if you don't drive on a real road," Benny urges. I sigh and nod, continuing onto the street.

"Speed up a bit, you're only going five miles per hour," He says, and I step on the gas a teensy bit. We speed up a bit. I smile.

"This is awesome," I say. Benny laughs. I drive to a red light, stop, and then make a U-turn back to the motel. I pull in slowly, easing the car to a stop.

"Whaddaya know, we didn't die!" Benny teases. "Dude, you're a natural." I grin proudly. "But next time, go a bit faster, you drive like my grandma," he jokes, and I punch his arm. "Kidding, kidding!" We go back to our motel room and grab all of our stuff, then head back out to the car.

"Goodbye, Timberland Inn," Benny mutters as we begin to climb in.

"Wait!" Calls out a voice, and we turn to see the innkeeper running up to the car. "You forgot something," she says. Benny furrows his eyebrows and walks over to her.

"What?" He asks.

"This!" And the innkeeper punches him in the face. I scream as Benny falls back.

"What the-" he exclaims as her face elongates and grows fur, and she grows claws.

"You're a mutant!" I gasp.

"And so are you, and the guy in that black van on the other side of the street is too, and so is the guy right behind you," She says.

"Huh?" I begin to turn around when something kicks me in the back and I fall forward, gasping for air. I turn around to see a man with lizard scales and claws sneering down on me. I kick him as hard as I can and jump up.

"You little bitch," Lizard guy growls and starts coming towards me. I throw a punch, but he grabs my arm and twists it around, making me scream in pain.

"Kamryn!" I hear Benny shout, and out of the corner of my eye I see him avoiding being sliced by the evil innkeeper. Lizard guy chuckles and pushes me down. I scramble backwards and stand up, but the next thing I know a third guy is behind me and grabs my shoulders. I shout and struggle to get away, stamping on his foot. He disappears, then rematerializes in front of me. I throw a punch, but end up hitting air as he evaporates and reappears two feet back. I turn and run over to where Benny is attempting to fight off the innkeeper. His wings are extended and he's throwing punches and kicks.

I grab the innkeeper's arm from behind and Benny lands a punch on her face, making her crumple to the ground. Suddenly, lizard guy grabs my arm and punches me in the face, and the disappearing dude holds my arms behind my back. I cry out in pain as lizard guy punches me over and over, and I hear Benny grunting as he tries to get the disappearing dude to let go. He shouts in frustration and runs around and grabs hold of lizard guy's arms, flying him up six feet in the air, then letting go. Lizard guy shrieks, which abruptly stops when he hits the floor. I hear the sickening sound of limbs breaking and lizard guy crumples.

I fight off the disappearing dude when I feel his grip on me slacken in his surprise. I turn around and kick him in the groin, and he shouts and drops to the floor, groaning in pain. Benny grabs a gun from the front seat of his car and shoots disappearing dude in the thigh, causing him to shriek with pain.

"Quickly!" Benny shouts, and I scramble to the passenger's seat. We slam our doors shut and Benny drives quickly around the mutants, speeding away from the town, ignoring the traffic signals.

"Son of a bitch!" Benny shouts angrily. "How did they know?!"

"I don't know!" I say frantically. "They were mutants, though. Why would they attack us?!" Benny shrugs. I've never seen him looking so furious.

"I don't know, bribery, threats? Anyways, it just means we're on mutants most wanted list. And we're in more danger than I thought."


	4. Chapter 4- Benny

*****WARNING*** **this chapter is kinda sappy, so sorry if you don't like that sorta thing, but I felt like the story needed at least one chick-flick chapter (of course I added my own twist to it. I mean, no one likes TOO much cuddles and warm fuzzies :P). I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Chapter 4- Benny

I hate driving. It's so damn slow compared to flying, and I hate the feeling of being trapped. When I fly, I'm surrounded by open air, and I have the breeze in my face, ruffling my hair and feathers. But in this stupid car I just feel like I'm going to scream. I never knew I was this claustrophobic, but hey, you learn something new every day.

Kamryn and I have barely talked since the incident at Timberland Inn, and I feel as if I'm alone, even though she is constantly by my side. That phrase, 'so close, but so far?' I never really understood it until now. To be honest, even though she can be a pain, I miss her. I glance over at her to see she is slumped in her seat, gazing out the window.

"What's up?" I ask, breaking the silence. Kamryn glances over at me, then continues staring out the window.

"It's hard to explain," she sighs.

"That's not an answer. Now tell me, what's bothering you?" I insist. She barks a humorless laugh.

"Hmm, I can't imagine what could possibly have me upset," She says. I let out a huff.

"Come on, you know what I mean. You weren't THIS moody until Timberland. Tell me what's wrong," I demand. She hesitates, frustrating me further. "I swear to god I will stop this car and force the answer out of you." Huh. That's a new one. I can tell she knows I'm bluffing, but she still answers, thank god.

Kamryn sighs and shrugs. "I just remember thinking, the day you rescued me, that I didn't care what the world was like as long as I got out of the Institution, because 'nothing could possibly be worse than this.'" Oh lord was she wrong. "Turns out no matter where I go people want to kill me 'cause of what I am." I don't say anything. "I don't understand why people would judge someone- _hate _someone- because of something they can't control. Without even getting to know them," she continues with a sigh. I laugh harshly at her naivety.

"Holocaust, Civil War, Gay Rights, this isn't the first time. Humans are freaking messed up creatures. And it's sick because they think what they're doing is _right._ They know that they're hurting each other, but they legit think they're doing the right thing. All they care about is themselves, and they think everyone else should be like them," I say, anger creeping into my voice. Kamryn gives me a look that I can't quite place, and then she turns away shaking her head.

"What?" I ask. Actually, I think challenge would be a better word.

Kamryn shakes her head again. "Nothing. You're right," she tells me. I don't say anything else, and neither does she. We keep driving, silent once more.

Soon I become too tired to continue. I stop at a hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas (I can't process the name of the town, I'm too tired). We get out of the car with our stuff and walk to the counter. I don't make eye-contact with the innkeeper, the incident in Timberland still fresh in my mind. The man hands me a key and Kamryn and I drag ourselves to our room, which is thankfully on the first floor.

I unlock the door and throw my bag of stuff on the floor. I crawl into the bed and under the covers, dropping my head onto the pillows gratefully. The last thing I vaguely process before falling asleep is the sound of a muffled sob.

_ Eleven-year-old me stood in my bathroom, panicking at the sight of the wings sprouted on my back. I knew I wasn't supposed to say bad words, but I couldn't help it and no one was around anyway. _

_ "Dammit!" I whispered to myself. "Dad is going to be so pissed." I didn't know when it happened, just that I woke up that morning feeling strange, and my back felt like something was stuck to it. I was surprised when I looked in the mirror of my bathroom and saw _wings,_ light brown with white spots. I was shocked that they grew so quickly, but it was a mutation and I didn't understand anything about mutations, whatever kind. _

_ I honestly didn't care that I was a mutant. I had known my fair share of mutants and they weren't as bad as everyone thought. They were just people, even if they looked different or had powers. They were special. Improved. No, I didn't care about what I was; what really had me scared was what my family's reactions would be. I knew ever since I could talk that my parents, especially my dad, hated anyone that was different from them, and now I would be a subject of that hate. I wasn't sure what to do. I fell to my knees, sobbing into my hands. Then I heard a knock at the door._

_ I looked up, panicked, searching for my shirt when the door opened a crack and my four-year-old sister, Alice, the sweetest person I had ever known and whom I cherished more than anything, slipped in. Immediately I attempted to hide my wings, afraid of what she'd think of me, but I knew she had already seen them. I closed my eyes and shrank back, waiting for her to scream, gasp, something. But, to my surprise, she just put a small hand on my arm. I opened my eyes to see her smiling, blue eyes twinkling._

_ "You too?" She asked softly in her sweet voice. Confused, I raised an eyebrow. Then she turned around and lifted up her shirt, revealing two tiny, white wings, like an angel's. They suited her. My little angel. _

_ "They're beautiful, Lice," I whispered._

_She tugged her shirt back down and turned around, stepping forward and hugging me around my waist. I stroked her blonde curls lovingly. What would I do without her? Then, the door swung open, and my mother and father stood there in shock. My dad's expression turned slowly from shock to anger as he saw my wings and his expression changed once again, that time to sadness. My mother's mouth opened in a perfect 'o'._

_"My own children," My dad said in disgust, shaking his head. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. There was something in his voice: pure horror and it broke my heart. My own parents hated me. _

"Benny, wake up!" said a girl's voice says, and I snap out of my dream. I open my eyes to see Kamryn's worried face staring down at me, her forehead creased and her lips slightly ajar.

"Wha?" I mumble groggily. "Wha's going on?" I sit up in my bed. Man, I feel crappy. It's like I didn't even sleep at all.

"I could ask you the same question! You kept mumbling in your sleep, you really freaked me out! Did you have a bad dream or something?" she says, concern evident in her voice. I shake my head, not wanting to tell her about it.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine," I say, and she purses her lips but doesn't say anything, in an obvious "I know you're hiding something but I'll leave it alone… for now."

"We should go. I don't know what it is, but I hate this place. It makes me uncomfortable," she says, heading towards the door. I get out of bed as she throws me my pack of things. She opens the door and walks out, saying jokingly "By the way, you look awful." I laugh and look in the mirror, and see what she means; my shaggy hair is a mess, there are shadows under my eyes, and my clothes are wrinkly. But I don't bother to do anything about it. I honestly could care less about my appearance, that sort of thing never really mattered to me.

"You're a jerk," I say anyways, and I hear her laugh in response. It seems the awkward silence between us has evaporated, and I'm thankful.

Suddenly, I remember last night before I fell asleep. The crying. My lighthearted mood is whisked away and I catch up with Kamryn. I want to know why she was crying, but at the same time I don't want things to get bad between us again. I debate with myself whether or not to ask. I look over at her, and see she's glancing at me, concern on her face again.

"What's up? You look upset," she asks. I decide not to ask right now.

"Nothing, just thinking," I say, attempting a lighthearted tone. I decide it's passable. I can tell she knows that isn't the whole truth, but thankfully she just shrugs. We give our room key back to the innkeeper, who takes it without a second glance, and we get into our car without a single interruption.

After a while of driving I hear Kamryn let out a huff and I look over at her.

"What's up?" I ask, knowing what's coming.

"Oh, don't play innocent. We both know you had a bad dream last night and you're hiding it from me. I mean, come on! You had me tell you about the Institution, but you can't tell me about a little nightmare?" she says quickly and I know she's been holding it in since we left the hotel. I barely think before responding.

"Only if you tell me why I heard crying last night before I fell asleep."

Kamryn looks shocked and embarrassed.

"You heard that? I thought you were asleep," she says, looking away.

"Well, you thought wrong. Now tell me," I demand. I groan inwardly as I realized this trip is slowly becoming a chick-flick. I need to stop all the heart-to-hearts. But I still want to know why she was upset.

"Fine. I was just a bit overwhelmed with… well… everything, and I couldn't keep it in any longer. I don't know, the stress was just getting to me. I'm fine now," she assures me. "Now, why were you weeping in your sleep like a little girl?" I know she's teasing me so this doesn't become too sappy, and I'm grateful that she hates all this chick-flick crap as much as I do. I marvel again at how different she is from most other girls I've ever met, mutant or not. Suddenly, I realize with a bit of a jolt that she reminds me of Alice. Alice hated super sappy stuff too, as she got older. I shake the thought out of my head, knowing thoughts like that aren't going to make this any easier.

"I had a dream about the night I figured out my sister and I was mutants. I was eleven. She was four. My parents saw our wings and pretty much hated us instantly. I'll never forget the horror on my dad's face when he saw. That was the night Lice and I ran away to Xavier's school. She died two years later in the attack by the AML," I say, tears threating to overflow from my eyes. I blink hard, refusing to let them come.

Kamryn doesn't say anything for a long time. It seems like hours, but I know it is only a minute or two. Suddenly, she hugs me.

"Whoa!" I say, and the car swerves a bit before I get it under control. "Not while I'm driving!" I ignore the honking from behind me and the rude hand gesture that I see in my rear-view mirror.

"Right, sorry," she says sheepishly, blushing. I'm not angry though. I smile a small smile and put a hand on her shoulder. She really does remind me of Lice.


	5. Chapter 5- Kamryn

Chapter 5

By the time night falls we're already on the edge of Alabama, and thankfully the ride has been fairly uneventful. I can't believe we'll be there in just hours. I'm nervous. It's been just me and him for so long.

"Another forty minutes or so and we'll be in Florida. Then we can stop for the night," Benny tells me. I know he's excited to get home. He's already told me a lot about his friends and the teachers and everything. Apparently, I'll be sharing a room with a girl named Claire, whom Benny has been friends with since he first got to Xavier's school. I've never really met another girl because the scientists were all men, and I can't help but wonder if we'll get along. But I suppose if Benny likes her that's a good sign.

Once we reach Florida we look for a hotel for the night, finally finding one in a small town in the city of Pensacola. We get a room on the bottom floor and when we get there, I sit down on my bed, not really tired enough to actually go to sleep. Benny doesn't look ready to sleep, either.

"You're not tired either?" I ask him. He shrugs.

"A little bit, but I think I'm too excited to sleep. I can't believe we're finally gonna be there."

"Yeah…" I agree halfheartedly, which he immediately picks up on.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice full of concern for me. It's weird to think that four days ago I didn't trust this boy at all, and now I've never trusted anyone more wholeheartedly. Not that I'd ever tell him that, of course.

"It's nothing really… I guess I'm just kind of nervous," I tell him truthfully. He laughs incredulously and I glance at him indignantly. What's so funny?

"What're you worried about?"

"I dunno, it's just that I've never really been around people much before."

"You've been stuck with me for four days now and it doesn't seem like you've had much trouble," Benny reasons.

"Well you're easy to talk to. And it also helps that we've pretty much spilled our souls out to each other." Benny rolls his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. They're people, not aliens, just talk to them like you'd talk to me. I don't understand why this is such a big deal," he mutters. I scowl at him and lie down, inching under the covers. I shove my face in the cushy pillow and close my eyes, but I can still see the light through my eyelids.

"Turn off the light," I command, my voice muffled. I hear footsteps and a click, and then everything is pitch black and I fall asleep.

Benny shakes me awake too early for my liking the next morning. I can tell he's eager to get going. I force myself out of my bed and slip my shoes on. Benny drags me out to the lobby and throws the room key on the counter, and we hurry to our car. We speed away from the hotel, way over the speed limit. When Benny drives onto the highway, I'm shocked to find it practically empty. I know it's only five in the morning, but still, it's strange that barely anyone is here. I'm a little suspicious, but it's probably nothing. Benny takes the lack of people to his advantage and barely goes under 90 mph.

"Dude, you're driving way too fast," I say, not bothering to keep the hint of fear out of my voice.

"It'll be fine. I do this all the time," he replies, but that does nothing to calm my nerves. We've been pretty lucky this whole trip, mostly staying out of trouble, and the last thing we need is to be stopped because of something silly like speeding. I don't know what's gotten into Benny, he isn't normally this reckless. Of course, I realize, I don't know Benny as well as I like to think I do, so I shouldn't be so surprised.

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when we get stopped by the police," I tell him. He smirks at me, as if enjoying my discomfort.

Of course, as I predicted, several minutes later I hear the blare of police sirens behind us.

"I told you!" I exclaim, frustrated. The idiot should've listened to me.

"Dammit," Benny mutters as he pulls over. "Not like we were in a hurry or anything."

The police officer walks up to our open window, and I'm surprised to see a gun in her hand.

"Get out of the vehicle!" she shouts, and I'm stunned. All this for speeding? I thought we would just get a ticket or something. Benny and I climb out of the car with our hands in the air. She looks over at a man.

"This is them?" she asks him, and with a jolt I realize it's the real owner of the sedan. Benny obviously recognizes him too as a stream of obscenities comes out of his mouth under his breath. The man nods.

"Alright then," She turns back to us and pulls out a pair of handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent." But of course Benny's not gonna go without a fight. He whips out his wings and kicks the officer in the gut. I summon a puddle of water and freeze the owner of our stolen car from the neck down, and he gasps.

"I'm so, so sorry," I say apologetically.

"Y-you're _mutants!_" the man exclaims, fear in his voice. Meanwhile, the police officer has her radio out.

"We have a code twenty-two six, I repeat code twenty-two six. I need backup," She says quickly.

"Look," Benny says, "We don't want to hurt you, but we will. Just tell your buddies it's a false alarm and we'll be on our way, and we'll never bother you again. Please, we're humans too." The police officer glares and points her gun at him. Before I can even scream, she pulls the trigger and with a sharp intake of breath the bullet slams into Benny's thigh. Then I do scream, and run towards him. His leg buckles from underneath him and I do my best to keep him from falling.

"You're not humans," The police officer says with disgust. "You're _mutants. _Freaks." I glare at her and let go of Benny, summoning water. Before she can shoot me I heat up the water and scald her hand with it, and she shrieks in pain and drops her gun. I use the remaining puddle of water to freeze her feet to the floor and kick her gun out of her reach.

Quickly, I help Benny into the back of the car and then climb into the driver's seat, thankful that I learned how to drive. I step on the gas and speed away. I know I have to get Benny help.

"You okay?" I ask him.

"I'll be fine. I can't believe she _shot me,_" he says angrily. "And don't take me to some hospital, I have all the stuff I need. When we get far enough just pull over or something, and we can take care of it ourselves. It's not that bad." I nod and drive several miles before stopping. I stop at a small gas station just off the highway and pull in around the back. Once the car is parked I climb into the back seat, determined to help in any way I can. There is a hole in his jeans and his thigh is soaked with blood from the wound. The cloth is plastered to the hole and it's all very disgusting. Benny grabs his backpack and hands it to me.

"There should be tweezers in there, and bandages," he tells me. I know where this is going and my stomach churns at the thought. I dig around in the backpack until I find the stuff. I look at Benny uncertainly, and he nods encouragingly.

"Um, are you sure you want me to do this?" I ask. He sighs exasperatedly.

"Yes, I can't do it myself. Now go ahead." I put one hand on his thigh forcefully and begin digging around with the tweezers in the hole. Benny yelps in pain and I can't say I'm enjoying it either.

"Don't be a baby," I tell him. "I almost got it." And sure enough a few moments later I pull the bullet out with a sickening squelch. I cover my nose with my hand that _isn't_ covered in blood and hand Benny the bandages.

"Well that was gross," I declare. Benny cuts away the cloth around his wound and puts bandages on it, wincing. I look down at my bloody hands and shirt with disgust.

"That was an experience I wouldn't like to repeat," I state. Benny laughs.

"You and me both," he says. Suddenly, I realize how close we are in this cramped car and, blushing, I struggle to climb back into the passenger's seat.

"Let's keep going. We're almost there."


	6. Chapter 6- Benny

Benny

I can no longer hide my excitement when we're only an hour away from the place I've now called home for five years. Luckily, Kamryn seems to have gotten over her worries and I think she's looking forward to it too. But, despite my enthusiasm to be back, I'll admit (though I'd never tell her) I'm going to miss it being just her and me. When I left on the mission to get Kamryn from the Institution, I thought it'd be like it usually is: quick, there and back, typical rescue mission. I never once expected to become this attached to her. It feels like I've known the girl beside me for years, not just a few days.

I glance over at Kamryn, who is asleep. Her cheek is pressed up the window and her messy, braided hair is coming loose and falling into her face. The corners of my mouth turn up in a small smile at the sight. Even though I know she's only a few months younger than I am, I can't help but think of how innocent and childish she looks when she's a sleep, such a big contrast to the usual hard eyes and brooding expression she often wears when she's awake. But in times like these I can pretend that my friend has never known any hardships or torture.

Soon I turn onto a small road off the highway. I've been down this road too many times to count. As I drive there are fewer and fewer buildings, and the trees and foliage grow thicker and wilder. From here it's just straight on. I hear Kamryn stirring, and when I look over she's sitting up with a yawn, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Mornin', sleeping beauty," I say playfully, even though it's late at night. Kamryn nods drowsily in reply.

"How far away are we?" she asks.

"Not far. Maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops." Kamryn smiles and I can see the hint of worry etched in her features. Even though I still don't understand her odd nerves I don't say anything as she fixes her braid and straightens her shirt in a halfhearted attempt to look at least slightly presentable. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Girls worry way too much.

I finally see the building coming up about a hundred feet from the side of the road. The old abandoned warehouse is low and long, and I know there are many different corridors and rooms and hallways inside. The building is made of concrete that I assume was once white but over the years it has grown worn and gray. There is ivy growing up the sides of the walls. Surrounding the building, as it is all around this place, is lots of green and thickets of trees and bushes. I can't see it from here, but I know about a mile north of the warehouse is a large lake I like going to when the weather isn't so wet.

The sky is smothered by thick dark clouds sending torrents of rain down and I know it's going to be an electrical storm. Kamryn looks at me uncertainly as I stop the car on the side of the road and unbuckle my seat belt. I smile encouragingly.

"Come on," I tell her, stepping out into the rain. Just as it always is, despite the heavy rainfall the air is still quite warm and humid. Off in the distance I hear the low, familiar rumble of thunder. It's good to be back.

I start trekking through the foliage with Kamryn behind me, using her powers to keep the rain from coming down on us. I don't know why she bothers though as the thick trees pretty much block most of the rain anyways.

"It's so wet here! And humid!" Kamryn exclaims. I nod in agreement.

"I bet it's a lot nicer than the dry heat you're used to from the desert in Kansas," I say. It's Kamryn's turn to nod.

"Lots." Soon we reach the small clearing where the warehouse is. Up close, you can see lots of cracks in the walls with ivy growing out of them and while far away the building looks grayish, now you can see the smudges of brown and green and black. Kamryn looks at me incredulously.

"This is where you live? It looks really uninhabitable," she says. I ignore her and knock on the warehouse door that has a big red "NO Trespassers" sign on it. A moment after I knock a small window in the door opens up and I see a pair of familiar green eyes.

"Benny! You're back!" A young voice exclaims excitedly and the window snaps closed. I hear the sound of several latches and padlocks being undone and then the door swings open. The little boy, Ryan, runs forward and hugs me.

"I missed you!" he says. I smile and ruffle his messy strawberry-blonde hair affectionately.

"Missed you too, kid," I say. He steps back and looks curiously at Kamryn.

"That's her?" He asks. I nod.

"Ryan, this is Kamryn. Kamryn, Ryan," I introduce. Ryan smiles widely at her, showing off his missing front teeth. Kamryn smiles back at him and waves.

"Come on in," Ryan says, jumping through the door. Kamryn and I follow him in.

"How old is he?" Kamryn asks quietly.

"Seven," I say back. Ryan closes the door after us and I get a look around. There are people everywhere, most of them ranging from toddlers to young adults like me. There are a few adults scattered around, but not many. A lot of the people here look like they could be normal, but a fair share have oddities that distinguish them from everyone else. I look at Kamryn, who is looking around her, sapphire eyes wide.

"Wow," she says simply. I grin.

"Yeah," I agree. I see Wolverine talking to one of the other professors, and I grab Kamryn's hand and pull her towards him.

"Wolverine," I call out. He excuses himself from the other person and walks over to me. "This is Kamryn, the mutant I went to get from that science facility."

"Good job," he says to me gruffly in rare appraisal, making me flush with pride. Turning to Kamryn, he says, "Well, welcome, it's nice to meet you and stuff." Kamryn nods shyly.

"Yeah. And stuff," she replies. Wolverine nods to me and walks away.

"Come on. I want you to meet my friends."

I found Claire and my roommate Jaxon in my room. When they saw me in the doorway, Claire immediately grinned ear-to-ear and threw her arms around me.

"You're back! We missed you!" she exclaimed happily. James smiled and clapped my shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, man," he said.

"It's good to be back," I replied. Suddenly I remembered my companion standing behind me, timidly watching the scene unfold in front of her. I stepped aside a took her hand, pulling her forward a bit.

"Guys, this is Kamryn," I say to my friends. Claire smiles warmly at her and steps forward, shaking hands with her.

"My names Claire, it's really nice to meet you," she says happily. Kamryn smiles back, gaining courage.

"You too," she replies. "I heard we're gonna be roommates?" Claire nods.

"Yeah, I'll show you later." Looks like they're gonna get along fine, thank god.

Jaxon steps forward and grins lopsidedly at Kamryn.

"I'm Jaxon," he says.

"Nice to meet you," Kamryn replies, flashing him with her own half-smile.

"So you grew up in a science facility?" Jaxon asks with his usual tact. Claire elbows him in the gut and shoots him a glare that matches mine. I glance at Kamryn, but she doesn't look fazed. Or at least she is hiding it if she was. Claire steps past us and opens the door.

"Kamryn, come on, I'll show you our room," she says. Kamryn nods and leaves with a final small smile at me.

"Dude. You didn't tell me the new girl was gonna be that hot," Jaxon jokes, flopping down onto his bed. I ignore him.

"So how was the trip," he asks me. I shrug.

"It was fine, I guess. Except we were attacked about a million times. Some of the times I don't even understand how they knew who we were." Jaxon looks at me curiously.

"They're getting more persistent. While you were gone a few others and I went on a quick reconnaissance mission and we were ambushed. Barely got out of there. It's like no matter what we plan they're always a step ahead of us." I frown, knowing exactly what he means. A horrible thought occurs to me.

"You don't think they have a spy here, do you?" I share my suspicions with my friend, who creases his forehead and looks away thoughtfully.

"I dunno, man."

**A/N: **Well they made it! Hooray hoorah yippee, I guess. Of course, there's a lot more in store for our two friends… Keep checking for new updates, I hope you're enjoying it so far! :)


	7. Chapter 7- Kamryn

Kamryn-

Claire takes me to the other side of the warehouse where, according to her, the girl's dormitories are. She doesn't say a whole lot other than point out some people to me. She promises to take me on a tour of the base soon, but 'you must be exhausted so I'll let you get some rest and show you around tomorrow.' It's true, and I'm grateful for her consideration. Claire seems like someone I won't have trouble getting along with. _Well she might not want to be your roommate much longer when she finds out about the nightmares, _whispers a snide voice in the back of my mind, which I hush. _Shut up, I haven't had one of those for almost a week now, ever since Benny rescued me. I'm safe. There's no reason for them to start up again. _I tell the voice angrily, and shove the thoughts from my mind. I don't want to think about that. But I still make a mental note to warn Claire.

The best I can do is hope that I'll be able to remember the way when we finally stop at room C11. Claire unlocks the door and opens it, gesturing for me to go inside and I oblige. The walls, like in Benny's room, are white and have bright fluorescent lights in the ceiling, immediately making me think of the whitewashed labs in the Institutionand it's all I can do to keep from hyperventilating. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I whirl around to see Claire's concerned face.

"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," she says. I calm myself down and force a small smile.

"M'fine, don't worry," I insist and turn back to the room. At a second glance, I realize, it isn't as bad as I thought. Claire obviously made her best effort to make it homey, with pictures covering a huge space by one of the beds and colorful sheets. The half of the room furthest from the door is a lot more bare and dull, with white sheets and a plain lamp resting on a bedside table. Claire sits down on her coral pink bed sheets and looks at me sheepishly.

"I know, it's boring. I would've decorated it but I didn't really know what you would like, so I just left it. I can take you shopping for some stuff tomorrow though, if you want," she assures me, and I grin gratefully.

"That'd be great, thanks," I reply and sit down on the plain white bed. I look at the pictures and drawings decorating Claire's wall, my eyes immediately drawn to one that is obviously of her and Benny, though they are clearly a lot younger. Benny's arms are around a small girl with short blonde ringlets and a huge smile on her face, identical to his, and the three of them are standing in front of a huge castle-like building. Claire follows my gaze to the picture and smiles nostalgically.

"God, that was a long time ago. We were probably only twelve," she says fondly, taking the photograph down and handing it to me. It surprises me a bit to see Benny looking so happy and carefree. "Did Benny tell you about his sister?" I nod and my eyes immediately find the face of the young girl.

"That's her?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"Yeah. That's Alice." I don't have to look at Claire to know she has tears in her eyes. Claire coughs and takes the picture back, pinning it back onto her wall.

"I'll show you to the shower room so you can get cleaned up, then you can get some rest. Come on," she says, standing. I nod and follow her out the door with a last look at the smiling face of the twelve-year-old Benny.

Before we go to the shower room Claire takes me to a closet full of plain clothes of various sizes. We dig around a bit until I find a gray t-shirt and sweatpants that look like they'll fit my skinny frame, then I follow her to a door with a sign on it that reads 'women.'

"I don't like where this is going," I say as she opens the door. Claire laughs and glances at me.

"I didn't either," she tells me. Inside there are several blue stall doors lining a wall. In one corner of the large room there is a rack of fluffy white tiles.

"There are hair products and body wash in those stalls." She smiles awkwardly at me and starts towards the door. "See you in a bit, good luck." And with that I'm alone. Thank god for that, the thought of having to change in front of other people horrifies me a bit. I knew I wouldn't like this.

_Let's get this over with, _I think with a sigh.

Once I'm clean and in fresh clothes, I throw the towel in a basket full of them and leave, prepared to navigate my way back to my room.

Soon enough I reach the C's and count the doors until I reach the eleventh, and unlock it with the key Claire gave me.

"Hey," I say, and she looks up at me from her bed. When she sees my perfectly dried hair she raises an eyebrow.

"Is that your mutation? The human hair-dryer?" she asks skeptically, and I laugh, shaking my head.

"No, don't be ridiculous."

"What is it then?" she shifts her position until she's leaning forward, looking at me intently.

"I'll show you," I reply, raising my hands and concentrating until I have a floating sphere of water in front of me. I move my arms around and the water follows my movement, and after circling it around the perimeter of the room I stop it in front of me, then spread it out over us and turn it to mist. After the show Claire smiles appreciatively at my trick.

"Awesome!" she says, and I flush.

"Thanks. What about you, what's your mutation?" I ask.

"It's a bit like yours I guess, only instead of water it's plants." She stands and opens the closet door, and my eyes widen at the impressive array of vines and flowers growing through cracks in the walls and strangling the clothing. "Don't tell Professor Logan," she says with a grin.

"That's incredible!" I exclaim, and she glows with pride. Suddenly a huge yawn escapes my lips and I sit down on my new bed. It's a lot nicer than the cot I had back at the Institution, and definitely comfier than a car seat or any of the crappy hotel beds. Seeing my exhaustion, Claire flicks a switch on the wall and the pale lights are turned off, drenching the room in darkness. I climb into my bed and I can hear Claire's sheets rustling too.

"Goodnight, Kamryn." Suddenly a thought tickles the back of my mind, but before I can say anything I'm out like a light.

_"Stop moving, you stupid child!" the man in the white lab coat snarls at me. I ignore him though, struggling desperately against the metal binds. The man clicks a button and my body convulses at the electric shock running through me. When it finally stops I breathe heavily and blink hard, squeezing a tear out. After a few moments my head starts throbbing. The man laughs at my pain and picks up a scalpel from a tray of deadly-looking instruments, closely examining the sharp blade. _

"No…" I mumble and turn over in my sleep.

_He advances towards me, brandishing the blade and grinning psychotically. I hopelessly struggle as the man takes my arm and holds it down, cutting a deep gash into my shoulder as I shriek in pain._

"No," I whimper, gripping the pillow tight.

_ "STOP!" I beg. He slices several more cuts into my stomach, my arms, my chest, all over my body, and blood pools on the table around me as I scream. Hands grip me tightly, forcing my kicking limbs down. The man laughs and points the bloody scalpel an inch away from my wide eye, slowly holding it closer until I feel the sharp tip biting into my eyeball and I scream._

I'm still screaming when I wake up, sitting up in my bed with tears on my face. Suddenly the room is bright and it looks so much like the awful lab in my dream. I feel several pairs of hands on my arms and _no I'm back at the Institution _and I shove them away, shrieking and backing into the corner.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I cry, throwing punches and kicking out at the hands.

"Kamryn, Kamryn calm down!" someone says, wrapping their arms around me and holding me to them. I hear them shushing me and whispering comforts in my ear as I sob and slowly, slowly, I calm down a bit, crying into the somewhat familiar arms of the person.

"What's going on, why is she freaking out?!" asks a soft, scared voice that no one answers.

Eventually the tears subside and my breathing slows. Tentatively I open my eyes to see several people. In the front I see Logan with a frightened looking Claire right behind him, and three other adults I don't know. In the doorway stand several girls in their pajamas that must have heard my screams. When I look up I see the one holding me is Benny. Slowly I wrest myself from his grasp, and the embarrassment hits me.

"I'm sorry, I had a nightmare," I whisper, looking at my feet.

"One helluva nightmare," Logan says, voice gruff and full of pity. I blush. He turns around to the rest of the people that gathered here. "Nothing to see here, go back to bed," he tells them, and they leave with final worried glances in my direction. Only Benny and Claire stay.

"You okay, kid?" Logan asks me gently. I nod, looking down again. "You have these… uh, nightmares often?" I shrug and nod again.

"This is the first one in a while. I meant to tell someone but I forgot. I'm sorry," I apologize again. Benny puts his hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"It's okay, you're okay," he says softly.

"Well, uh… are you good now? Do you want something or…?" Logan trails off uncertainly, obviously unsure what to make of the situation. I shake my head.

"No I'm okay now. But maybe I should go somewhere else… I don't want to wake anyone up again," I suggest, but Claire shakes her head.

"No, you should stay. I can help, my little brother used to have nightmares all the time," she insists, and I smile gratefully at her. Logan nods.

"Well, I'm going back to bed. You're sure you're good?" he asks me again, and when I nod he turns and leaves, muttering to himself. Claire sits down on my other side.

"What the hell was that about?" she asks, concern evident in her voice. I blush again and look down. Benny wraps his arm around me and rubs my back comfortingly.

"Yeah, you never told me anything about nightmares," he says. I shrug away from his grip. This is embarrassing enough without him treating me like a little kid.

"I never had the need. I haven't had 'em in a while and I thought I'd be okay, it's no big deal," I say almost defensively. Benny narrows his eyes at me.

"No big deal my ass, you woke up half of the people in the warehouse with your screams!" he says. "What was the nightmare even about to freak you out that bad?" I frown at him.

"It's nothing okay! Please, just leave it alone." I cross my arms. Claire looks at me sympathetically.

"Kamryn, we just want to help. We're your friends, you can tell us," she insists. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes again. I'm really tired and I do _not _want to talk about this. _Just leave me alone, _I think, but that's not what I say out loud.

"Well if you were tortured for eighteen years you'd have nightmares too!" and the dam breaks. I'm furious at myself for crying and I wipe the tears away angrily.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, and I'm really tired," I say. Benny looks like he doesn't want to leave but he stands anyway. Before he goes he wraps his arms around me in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Nothing to apologize for," I mumble. He steps back and cups my cheek in his hand before turning and leaving, surprising me a bit. Claire sighs and moves back to her own bed.

"Want me to turn out the light?" she asks, and I nod. A moment later the room is dark again. I lay back down in my bed, tired, but knowing there's no way I'm gonna be able to go back to sleep.

"Hey, Claire?" she grunts to let me know she's listening. "Thank you. For letting me stay, I mean."

"That's what friends are for," says Claire's voice softly, and soon I hear her soft, even breaths letting me know she's asleep.


	8. Chapter 8- Benny

**A/N: Holy crap you guys it's been so long since I've updated! I'm sorry and I'll update as soon and often as I can, but I've been kinda caught up with school and other… personalish things and just haven't felt up to writing a worthy chapter, but I promise I haven't forgotten about my stories and I'm not abandoning them. Sorry if I don't update for a long time, just bear with me pleaseJ Now to the story…**

Chapter 8- Benny

Kamryn isn't the only one having trouble sleeping. My entire day was a blur ever since Kamryn and I arrived—all I can really remember is getting the bullet wound in my thigh healed up by our new nurse (thank God) and reuniting with my friends. And then there was Kamryn and her nightmares… Anyway, there's just too much on my mind; it feels like there are ten different voices in my head all shouting things at me and I can't get them to shut the hell up. So instead I just lay in my bed staring at the ceiling in the dark, listening to the deep, loud snores coming from Jaxon. I forgot how loud he is. Quite the contrast from Kamryn's soft and even breaths. Jaxon mumbles in his sleep and shifts in his bed, and I sigh.

_I wonder how Kamryn's doing right now._

_ Damn Jaxon is louder than I remembered._

_ I hope there _isn't _actually a spy here and the AML are just better than we expected._

_ ….. Actually I'm not sure if I hope that….._

_ This all sucks._ That thought just about sums it all up, I decide. I also come to terms with the fact that there is no way I'm getting to sleep any time soon, not with all these thoughts chiming in my brain. I sit up and drag a hand back through my hair, closing my eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, then walking out the door without bothering to change out of my pajamas. Anyone who cares about my attire can go screw themselves.

I don't know when I decided to go to the wreck room, but that's where I end up. The wreck room is our temporary and extremely unimpressive replacement for the Danger Room back at Xavier's School. Because of our depressing lack of technology and equipment we had to make do without the incredible realer-than-life simulation room and settle for a room with a closet full of whatever guns we could salvage during the raid on the school, a little homemade target range, and a small area filled with a few miscellaneous things for practicing your mutation, whether it be controlling plants like Claire or sending electric shocks through touch like Jaxon. And there is also an extremely patched up punching bag in one corner for the Wolverine to beat up when he had a temper tantrum. I settle for taking a .45 from the gun closet and walking over to the target range.

I load the gun and hold it straight out from my body, keeping it as steady as I could. I've been shooting a gun for about five years now, and now I can almost always put a bullet through the bull's eye. That is, with a non-moving target no more than 50 feet away from me. The target in the wreck room the furthest back isn't even near that, and sometimes it gets a little dull shooting at the close-ranged inanimate object, which is why I like going out in the field on missions so much. But Wolverine and the other Professors aren't super enthusiastic about sending barely-even-adults out on dangerous missions and try to avoid it when they can. Well, they used to. Then we started getting desperate, and our numbers began to shrink faster than we liked.

I aim the barrel of the gun at the bull's eye and squeeze my finger around the trigger, the familiar _bang _blasting through my ears and echoing off the walls. I repeat that seven more times, emptying the chamber. I despise the ringing sound that rips through the air as a result of a gun being fired in a closed-off room, but I'm pretty much used to it by now and I deal with it. When I look at the target I see 8 new bullet holes surrounding the bull's eye.

I yawn and rub my eye tiredly. Knowing that drowsiness and guns are never a good combination, I put it back in the closet after checking that there are no bullets in it, and head back to my room. On the way there I hear two people talking in hushed voices— the Wolverine and one of the human women named Anna, who came to us two years ago after her husband, who was a mutant, was killed. For a moment a silent debate rages in my head. My curiosity wins and I pause, listening.

"—Why would the AML want _her_? For all we know, the only special thing about her is that she's mentally unstable! We don't know anything about her. I have this bad feeling… She could be working for them! Something isn't right," Anna sounds agitated. I furrow my eyebrows, wondering who they're talking about.

"We don't know that," the Wolverine argues. "And I'm not going to kick her out unless we have some proof that she's with them. Just because you have some bad feeling in your gut doesn't mean she's a traitor. I personally see no reason for her to be working _for_ the people that tortured her for her entire life." At that Anna huffs. "Give it some time. Things look like hell right now, I know, but we'll pull through." He sounds like he isn't sure he believes himself, but Anna seems to take his word because she doesn't say anything. I decide I've heard enough and I rush back to my dorm.

They had to have been talking about Kamryn. Why, though? What do the AML want with her? I agree with Anna about one thing; something isn't right.

I eat my breakfast in silence, listening to Jaxon ramble on about something stupid and thinking about the conversation I overheard last night. I've been waiting for what feels like a lifetime for Kamryn and Claire to come to the dining hall to talk to her about it, but they still haven't shown up yet. The more I think about it, though, the less I want to share this piece of information with anyone. I don't even know for sure if it _was_ Kamryn they were talking about. It could easily be some other new girl that's been tortured her whole life and is possibly mentally unstable… Cause' there is so many other girls like that around here.

Finally, I see two blonde heads making their way through the dining hall towards Jaxon and me, and I wave. Claire plops down next to Jaxon in the other side of the table while Kamryn quietly makes her way and sits cautiously down next to me. Our arms brush against each other and I feel a spark of electricity, then the contact is gone. She has faint dark circles under her eyes and her hair and clothes are disheveled.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask quietly, and Kamryn shrugs.

"Just about as well as you'd imagine," she replies, stealing a piece of bacon from my plate and nibbling on it. I let my gaze linger on her for another moment or two in concern before turning my attention back to my breakfast.

"Kamryn and I are going shopping after breakfast," Claire says after a moment. It's not an invitation. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"What? Why?" Jaxon asks, furrowing his eyebrows. "We're in the middle of a war, and you're going _shopping_?" He says the word as if it's something revolting.

"Okay then, Kamryn can just wear the same pair of clothes for the rest of her life, and while we're at it lets just make sure she doesn't have any possessions," Claire bites back. I've almost forgotten the amount the two bicker. Jaxon rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything, and they glower at each other, sharp blue eyes against startling green. I can see sparks flying between them and I roll my eyes, expecting them to either strangle each other or start making out. Claire finally looks away with an exasperated huff, her face slightly pink. Grabbing Kamryn's arm, she stands and leaves with a forcibly cheery "bye," and drags her away. Jaxon stares after them until they're out of sight, then turns back to his breakfast and continues stuffing his face as if he and Claire didn't just take part in angry eye-sex.

Jaxon and I are called to a meeting after training, so we head to the small room crammed with a round table and plastic chairs that we've been using for the discussion of anything more serious than what we're having for lunch that day. Normally Jaxon and I, as barely-even-adults, wouldn't be called to a meeting, but obviously this isn't _normally. _What's left of the X-Men sit around Jaxon, me, and the other of-age mutants that actually have at least some sort of fighting experience. It's sad how few people are here.

"We have a new mission for you." Wolverine gets right to the point. "The Science Institution in Kansas," he glances at me and my stomach sinks as I realize he means the one I rescued Kamryn from, "is working with the AML and they're kidnapping more mutants. I need five of you to go help them." He looks at me again. "Hawk, you're the only one who's been there before. Will you lead the mission?" I nod dutifully, only sighing on the inside. "Then I need four other volunteers." Jaxon immediately raises his hand, flashing me a loyal grin that I reciprocate. The next person to volunteer is a guy named Ellis, then Nico. Finally, a girl named Alana raises her hand, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Good. I want you all to leave first thing tomorrow, so be ready by then. You're dismissed." We get up to leave when I hear Wolverine call, "Hawk, hang on. I need to talk to you." I wave Jaxon ahead and sit back down at the table.

"What is it, Professor?" I ask. Wolverine looks tired—or at least more tired than usual—and he runs a hand over his unshaven face, sighing. He's the toughest person I have ever met and seeing him look this defeated terrifies me.

"The girl. Kamryn. She can be trusted?" the question shocks me. I nod vigorously.

"Yes! Of course she can," I insist. Wolverine gives me a long, studying look before closing his eyes.

"Fine. You can go."


End file.
